The Bold Soul: A Writer's Life in Paris

Bless all the dear children

Bless all the dear children Tonight, my heart is filled with thoughts of those 20 darling little ones in Newtown, Connecticut. And their parents, their siblings, their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, classmates and neighbors who are struggling with this loss. And the teachers and school staff who were so brave. And the police and EMT responders who are also coping with what they have experienced. And their entire community, which is grieving and shattered. For children in schools everywhere around the world who have a right to get an education without living in fear for their very lives, and for those who are committed to teaching them, no matter what. Read more →

Marché de Noël

This week I had the chance to check out the big Marché de Noël and all the holiday lights on the Champs Elysées. Some years it's better than others and last year was a bit of a disappointment, so I wasn't sure what to expect this year. As usual, there were numerous food and drink stalls. My friend Linda and I both noticed there seemed to be more than usual, though. We had ourselves a little vin chaud (hey, it was a freezing cold day), but I couldn't help wondering what they meant by "Christmas BEER". Then we spotted something new... and kind of creepy: a giant inflated "snow globe" with a pathetic-looking Père Noël lounging in a chintzy-looking costume, waiting for kids to come in for a photo op. There was no line despite it being a Wednesday afternoon, and little kids don't have school on Wednesdays. This was clearly set up for the tourists as the wording was all in English. And hey, Santa had a customer after all! We spotted one nice thing for kids: an ice skating rink that also has a little track or course that winds past little wooden houses with displays of all... Read more →

Shop 'til you drop

Hey, there are new 2013 calendars and more in the Bold Soul Cafepress shop! I've added a few new items and updated the images on some others. If you are looking for some original gift ideas for the holidays, or something decorative or fun for your own home, check out what's new! Happy shopping and even happier holidays. :) Read more →

A new view

We have a bit of a fresh new look here at The Bold Soul. You know, a New Year coming, let's shake things up just a bit. I wanted something simple with a banner I could change out more often and more easily than with my former template, and although this isn't as customized as I might have wanted, I think I can live with this for a while. The current banner is one I took yesterday on the Champs Elysées, which is all decked out for the holidays. I also got this photo, in the other direction, just as the sun was setting: Gotta love it. Read more →

12/12/12 - My Top 12 Parisian Favorites

In honor of this "we will never pass this way again" date of 12/12/12, instead of more end-of-the-world propaganda (since we're getting near that big Mayan calendar date of 12/21/12), I give you a list of my Top 12 Favorite Things About Paris. Because jeez, people, someone has to keep it freaking light around here, what with North Korea launching long-range missiles, the troubles in places like Syria and some crazy guy shooting up a mall filled with Christmas shoppers - can you imagine a mall Santa having to dive for cover to avoid a bullet? What a world. The news is too damned depressing sometimes. So let's focus on something wonderful for a moment: PARIS. Here are my 12 favorite things about my new home city. And if you thought it was going to be a list of museums and monuments and tourist traps, tant pis. 12. Public displays of affection are not only tolerated but encouraged. No one ever mumbles "get a room" under their breath when they see you kissing on a park bench or in the middle of a crowded sidewalk or on the metro. For all that Parisians can be so cynical and jaded like... Read more →

Père

I never write about my father. There are a lot of reasons for this, but in general I don't write about him because he hasn't exactly been in my life much since I was 10. That was the year he left my mom, my younger sister and me to start a new life... with someone else. His leaving was traumatic, to say the least. The two or three years following the separation and divorce of my parents were a constant emotional rollercoaster. There were those alternate Sunday "visitations" that my sister and I grew to hate, as he tried to persuade us to come and meet his "new" family. I'm sure he thought he was doing something positive by trying to integrate us into his world, but really I think he was trying to make his own situation easier... something that would be a recurring theme. After a few years, my little sister and I came to a very big decision, actually one of those life-changing moments: we decided we'd had enough of the part-time-Dad thing, and we told him we wanted to stop seeing him. We never discussed this in advance with our mom, and she hadn't influenced us,... Read more →

A cottage in Montmartre

Spotted on the way to the dentist, Rue Tourlaque. Read more →

Sticking around

So apparently there is a (new? Or not so new? I'm so out of the loop these days) trend in the States where people get these cartoon-ish window stickers for their cars to represent the members of their family, their pets, their favorite hobbies and sports, and so on. OK, cute in its way, I suppose, but I'm like, does the whole world really care if you have a mom and a dad and three kids and you all like to play tennis? Probably not, but the guy who thought this one up is most likely laughing all the way to the bank that he made a bundle on this idea. My favorite, though, was THIS one which I spotted in the Short Hills Mall parking lot. Don't you think every family ought to have a pet dinosaur to keep the kids in line? I'm not sticking around any longer in New Jersey; alas, my family holiday is at an end, and it is time to fly back to Paris. See you all across the pond after I decompress... and hug my Georges for about three days straight. Au revoir for now, New Jersey... Read more →

A Golden Christmas

These are my sister's two adorable Golden Retrievers, Maddie and Jessie. I can't believe I got them to sit still for three whole seconds. Read more →

Student life

Visiting the UMASS Amherst campus this weekend, as my niece is starring in her theater group's production of "Violet" (she's playing Violet). We're at the on-campus hotel, which is extremely nice with every amenity, and so clean! The hotel is just a short walk away from the theater. Waiting for my nephew and his wife to arrive, then it's off to an early dinner with our STAR before she heads back to prep for the performance. Here's our view, but this is only one small part of a very huge campus. I haven't stayed on a college campus since... 1982 when I visited my sister at her school. Geez... that's 30 years already? Oy. Read more →